Sr and Pb isotopes as environmental indicators in environmental studies.

An environmental indicator is a numerical or a descriptive categorization of environmental data with the primary purpose of assessing the affected environment. In these studies, two characteristic isotopes, namely Sr and Pb, were assessed of their ability to describe the affected environment in environmental studies by detecting trends of pollution over short as well as long time periods and by identifying sources of contamination. The ability of environmental indicators to serve as elements in summarizing the situation of the affected environment is discussed.

Variations of lead isotopes and airborne particulate concentrations from the Kozani basin, West Macedonia, Greece.

The spread and variation in 206Pb/207Pb ratios make Pb isotopes a powerful tool when it comes to detecting trends in airborne particulates originating mainly from power plants. This study was conducted to determine the source of pollution in Kozani area, an affected industrial area. Lead isotopic ratios of air filters under certain meteorological conditions were compared to Pb isotope analyses sampled from lignite mines, but also to Pb isotope analyses of cultivations in soil originating from the reclamation of old abandoned lignite-mines.

Environmental indices in irrigation management.

Irrigation management calls for objective criteria capable of representing the economy, reliability, and productivity of irrigation systems. These criteria must be compatible with long-term sustainability and conservation goals. The criteria representing the above goals are the economic effect of management on yield reduction, economic effect, and reliability referring to plant growth and operation of the network.

Analysis of irrigation systems using sustainability-related criteria.

Sustainable agricultural development as a desired goal in irrigation management is a result of recent public awareness of the scarcity of water for food production. In order to incorporate sustainability-related criteria in the analysis of irrigation systems, the present study aims at introducing environmental indices that represent irrigation water conservation and satisfactory production and income for farmers under stress conditions. An experiment was conducted in Chania, Greece, during the irrigation periods of 1989 and 1990.